Chicken Marsala – Golden crispy cutlets, rich creamy Marsala wine sauce. Comforting yet luxurious. Midweek-fast yet restaurant-worthy. Economical. Easy. The perfect meal!

Chicken Marsala

Chicken Marsala is an Italian-American classic, one of those dishes born from blending Italian recipes with American tastes. A dish that is now so beloved that it’s a staple in restaurants across the States and well beyond.

One bite is all it takes to be hooked for life, just as I was!

It’s essentially a variation of traditional Italian scaloppine dishes. A thin chicken cutlet is coated in flour then pan fried until crispy and golden, then smothered in a rich sauce that is flavoured with Marsala which is a fortified Italian wine.

Marsala is one of those secret weapon ingredients. A splash of that, and it’s like you added stock, honey, vinegar and Worcestershire sauce with a touch woody nuttiness into the sauce. The flavour that goes so well with chicken, especially with a little bit of cream to finish it off.

That sauce! It’s absolutely stunning. Thank you Mr Marsala!

This one’s for the grown-ups

And in case you’re worried, no, the sauce doesn’t taste “alcoholic” at all. The Marsala wine is simmered rapidly to cook out most of the alcohol, leaving behind just the flavour.

Having said that though, this dish uses more than the usual small splash of wine I use in other recipes so it’s not one I’d recommend for the kids. I’d recommend the Chicken in Creamy Mushroom Sauce instead – everyone can enjoy that!

Ingredients in chicken marsala

As noted above, the key ingredient in Chicken Marsala Sauce is marsala which is a fortified wine (like port) from the Marsala region of Italy. It’s got a sweet, nutty flavour that’s more complex and richer than red wine.

Use a dry marsala rather than sweet marsala which is more commonly used in desserts.

It’s a standard item at liquor stores and while premium marsala is pricey, there’s no need to go crazy here. The marsala pictured below cost around $20 but you can pick up bottles for less than $10. It will last “forever” and can be used in place of port in dishes like Slow Cooked Pork Braised Lamb Shanks.

Substitutes – Port wine, sherry, or madeira. For non alcoholic version of this recipe, use Chicken with Creamy Mushroom Sauce!

Everything else you need

And here’s the other ingredients you need.

• Chicken breast – 2 large ones which we split in 2 horizontally to create 4 steaks in total. Substitute with four boneless chicken thighs.

• Cream – To add a little luxuriousness to the sauce. To reduce calories a bit, you can substitute with evaporated milk as cream is not the primary ingredient in this sauce. The sauce will not have the same creamy mouthful but it will still have the same beautiful marsala flavour.

• Chicken stock/broth – To add savouriness into the sauce. Without it, it’s just lacking a bit of flavour.

• Eschalot / French onion (called shallots in the US) – I like using eschalots in this dish because they are sweeter and also finer so they kind of meld into the finished sauce better, rather than having chunky lumps of onion. However, you can substitute with 1/2 small onion OR 1/4 cup of the white part of green onions (split in half lengthwise then slice into 1cm / 1/3″ squares).

• Mushrooms – White mushrooms or Swiss brown/cremini. Whichever you prefer!

• Butter and oil – For cooking the chicken and making the sauce. We want the butter for flavour, but it burns if we only use butter so it’s best to use oil as well.

• Flour – To add a lovely golden crust on the chicken that the sauce can cling to!

• Garlic – Because…garlic!

• Parsley – Just an optional garnish!

How to make Chicken Marsala

Chicken Marsala is made by cooking the chicken first until golden and crispy. Then it’s set aside on a plate while the sauce is made in the same pan (we want all those tasty chicken drippings in the sauce!) , then added back into the sauce at the end just to warm through again.

1. Pound chicken Cut each breast in half to form 2 thin steaks (so you have 4 in total). Cover with a freezer bag or Go-Between and pound to 1 cm / 0.4″ thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin. Go-between is like cling wrap but it’s thicker and doesn’t stick to itself. Sold alongside cling wrap at the grocery store, it’s useful for keeping stacked food in the freezer from sticking to each other, and protecting meat from being damaged when pounding.

   Why we pound the meat – To make the chicken even thickness so it cooks through evenly as well as tenderising it.

2. Season and dust – Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper. Then sprinkle with flour and lightly rub it across the surface with your hands.

   Shake off excess flour before cooking, else you’ll end up with lots of excess flour in the pan which will burn.

3. Sear chicken – Melt the butter and heat the oil in a large non-stick pan over medium high heat. When the butter is foamy, cook the chicken for 4 minutes until golden and crispy. Turn the chicken then cook the other side for 2 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through.

4. Remove the chicken onto a plate and set aside while we make the sauce in the same pan. It will cool down but that’s ok because we reheat the chicken in the sauce just before serving.

5. Make sauce – Using the same pan, because we want all the tasty flavour left by searing the chicken, melt the remaining butter and oil. Sauté the eschalots and garlic for just 1 minute – this gives them a head start as well as flavouring the butter/oil. Then cook the mushrooms until they soften – this takes around 4 to 5 minutes.

6. Reduce marsala – Next, rapidly simmer the marsala for a few minutes until it reduces by half. This not only cooks out most of the alcohol flavour but also reduces and concentrates the flavour.

7. Creamy and thickened – Pour in the cream, salt and pepper. Then simmer for 3 to 5 minutes or until the sauce thickens to a cream consistency. Initially the sauce will be quite pale but it will darken as it reduces.

   Don’t let it reduce and thicken too much as we are simmering it for a further 1 minute to re-warm the chicken and the sauce thickens a surprising amount as it cools when serving.

8. Re-warm chicken – Put the chicken into the sauce and let it simmer for 1 minute, just to reheat. Don’t forget to pour in any juices pooled on the plate – never waste free flavour!

What to serve with Chicken Marsala

A sauce this good requires some form of starchy vehicle for sauce soaking / mopping. Mashed potato (pictured), creamy polenta, pasta (long, short, small), even rice. I can totally see myself serving this with garlic butter kale rice!

For a blow-out Italian meal, add a Mega Italian Salad and Garlic Bread on the side. If you’ve made the salad before, you’ll understand the name! – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

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Chicken Marsala

Recipe video above. A beloved Italian-American classic comprised of a crispy golden chicken cutlet smothered in a rich Marsala wine flavoured mushroom sauce. A restaurant favourite that's easy to make at home, one bite and you'll be hooked for life like I was!

The key flavour here is Marsala wine so if you can't consume alcohol or don't have it, make Chicken in Creamy Mushroom Sauce instead! Also, this dish uses more alcohol than my usual "just a splash of wine" so it's not recommended for kids.

Course Mains

Cuisine Italian, Italian-American

Keyword chicken marsala

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 15 minutes

Servings 4

Calories 524cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

Golden crusted chicken:

• 2 large chicken breasts (300g/10oz each), cut in half horizontally (or 4 thighs, Note 1)
• 1/2 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 1/4 cup flour , plain/all-purpose

Marsala sauce:

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
• 2 tbsp / 30g unsalted butter
• 2 eschalots (US: shallots), peeled and cut into 1cm / 1/3″ squares (Note 2)
• 1 garlic , finely minced
• 2 cups white mushrooms , sliced 0.5cm / 1/5" thick
• 1 cup dry marsala wine (Note 3)
• 1/2 cup chicken stock/broth , low sodium
• 1/2 cup thickened / heavy cream (Note 4)
• 1/4 tsp cooking salt / kosher salt
• 1/8 tsp black pepper
• 1 tbsp finely chopped parsley , for garnish (optional)

Cups – Metric

Instructions

Chicken escalopes:

• Pound – Cut each breast in half to form 2 thin steaks. Cover with a freezer bag or Go-Between (Note 5) and pound to 1 cm / 0.4″ thickness using a meat mallet or rolling pin. This tenderises and ensures even cooking of the chicken.
• Dust – Sprinkle the surface with half the salt, pepper then flour. Lightly rub flour across surface, turn and repeat with remaining salt, pepper and flour. Shake excess flour off each piece just before cooking.
• Cook – Put half the butter and oil in a large non-stick pan over medium high heat. Once the butter is melted and foamy, place chicken in, then cook for 3 to 4 minutes until it's gorgeously golden and crispy. Turn and cook the other side for 2 minutes. Remove onto a plate.

Creamy marsala sauce:

• Sauté aromatics – In the same pan, add remaining butter and oil. Once butter is melted, add eschalots and garlic. Cook for 1 minute.
• Cook mushrooms – Add mushrooms. Cook for 3 minutes, stirring regularly.
• Reduce marsala – Add marsala, turn up heat to high and boil for 3 minutes or until reduced by half.
• Thicken sauce – Add chicken stock, cream, salt and pepper. Stir, then lower heat so it's simmering (not boiling rapidly) and simmer for 3 to 5 minutes until the sauce thickens to a cream consistency (not too thick, will thicken more).
• Rewarm chicken – Nestle chicken into sauce and leave for 30 seconds to reheat.
• Serve! Take off the stove. Sprinkle with parsley, serve over starchy vehicle of choice (I chose mash. Rice, small pasta, polenta or bread for plate mopping also work well!).

Notes

1. Chicken thighs can also be used (boneless, skinless). Pound to even thickness or “butterfly” the thicker end to make it roughly even thickness.

2. Eschalots work best here because they are sweeter and also finer so they kind of meld into the finished sauce better. however, you can use 1/2 small onion OR 1/4 cup of the white part of green onions (split in half lengthwise then slice into 1cm / 1/3″ squares.

3. Marsala is an Italian fortified wine (like port), you can get a 750ml/25oz bottles for $10 or less (though they run up much higher for premium!). It’s the key flavouring in the sauce – depth of flavour, complexity, warmth and touch of sweetness. Use dry marsala rather than sweet marsala which is more commonly used in desserts.

Sub with port wine, sherry, or madeira. For non alcoholic version, better to make Chicken with Creamy Mushroom Sauce!

4. To reduce calories, use evaporated milk instead of cream, the same quantity. The mouthfeel will obviously be a little less luxurious but you will still get the gorgeous marsala flavour!

5. Pounding  – Go-between is like cling wrap but thicker and doesn’t stick to itself. Useful for freezing things in layers and also protecting meat with pounding. Freezer bag serves same purpose. Use the scary (rough) not smooth side of the meat mallet. Don’t have one? Use a rolling pin or anything similar (can! hammer!)

Leftovers will keep for 3 to 4 days in the fridge. It will freeze fine but I’m not really a fan of freezing cooked breast pieces.

Nutrition per serving, assuming 4 servings. 

Nutrition

Calories: 524cal | Carbohydrates: 16g | Protein: 36g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 13g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 11g | Trans Fat: 0.3g | Cholesterol: 146mg | Sodium: 638mg | Potassium: 877mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 756IU | Vitamin C: 6mg | Calcium: 46mg | Iron: 2mg

Life of Dozer

I spent this morning in a photography studio with a team of professionals shooting recipes for a magazine. Dozer came. So much food, so many people to harass. He was in his element! (And his conversion rate was extremely high).

Pictured below with Rob Palmer (photographer) and Emma Knowles (stylist). I love working with these two!

The post Chicken Marsala appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

Oven baked crunchy crumbed chicken drumsticks. Great seasoning, great crispy exterior, juicy flesh. Tastes like KFC – minus all the calories and grease!

Crunchy crumbed chicken drumsticks

I have a soft spot for chicken legs. Juicier and more flavourful than lean chicken breast, and more economical at that. With the bonus that there’s something extra enjoyable about food that has to be eaten with your hands.

Nobody eats drumsticks with a fork and knife, do they?? Surely not! Way too civilised and way too much meat wastage. There’s no way you can pick the bone clean of every scrap of meat with cutlery!!!

Hands all the way. GRAB and DEVOUR!

Today’s drumsticks are fabulously crunchy all over, and very well seasoned so there’s no need to marinate it overnight. You can make it right now, for dinner tonight. And yours will be as gorgeously golden as you see in the photos as long as you’re generous with the oil spray. Spray, spray, spray!

Ingredients in crunchy crumbed chicken drumsticks

The seasoning

The key to this recipe is a bold flavoured seasoning so there’s plenty of flavour in every bite even though we haven’t marinated the chicken. Here’s what you need – all pantry staples!

The spiciness comes from the chilli / cayenne pepper and a good amount of black pepper. There are adjustments in the recipe to make this kid friendly by either completely eliminating the spiciness or reducing it.

The crumbing

And here’s what you need for the crumb coating.

• Chicken drumsticks aka chicken legs. If yours were frozen, thaw thoroughly and pat dry extra well else you will end up with soggy patches.

• Egg and flour – the glue for the breadcrumbs. (PS I thought 2 eggs was enough but actually, we need 3.)

• Panko breadcrumbs – A Japanese breadcrumb favoured for the extra-crispy coating it gives crumbed foods. You can buy it at most big supermarkets (AUS – Coles, Woolworths, Harris) in the Asian foods section and Asian stores (cheaper!). Substitute with regular breadcrumbs.

How to make crunchy crumbed drumsticks

I like to split the seasoning between the flour and the panko, for maximum flavour effect!

1. Seasoning – Mix the seasoning in a small bowl.

2. Season flour and breadcrumbs – Use 1 tablespoon of the seasoning for the flour, then mix the rest in with the panko.

3. Crumbing (without making a mess!)- Use one hand to coat a drumstick in the flour then shake off excess. Use the same hand to coat the drumstick in egg, then allow the excess to drip off. Still using the same hand, place the drumstick in the panko, then use your other hand to sprinkle with panko. Press to adhere, rotate and coat all over with panko. Place on rack. Marvel at clean(ish) hands!!

4. Repeat with remaining drumsticks, lining them up so they are evenly spaced.

5. Spray generously with canola or other oil. I like to use canola oil because it comes out like a foam so I can see where I’ve sprayed. (PS The more you spray, the more golden and crunchy the coating. So don’t hold back!)

6. Bake for 25 minutes at 200°C/400°F (180°C fan). Flip drumsticks, spray again, then bake for a further 20 minutes or until gorgeously golden and crunchy. Let them cool for 5 minutes – which also gives the crumb a chance to “set” – then dive in!

What to serve with crunchy drumsticks

Gosh, there’s really no rules here. I had them with leftover Supreme Soy Noodles and Smashed Cucumbers on the day I made the recipe video. Certainly not obviously choices but it was still enjoyable! 😂

To keep your life easy, try serving this with what I call two-in-one-side dishes. These are sides that combine plenty of vegetables with starch in one dish so you can just serve that as the side rather than making a side salad plus a starch to fill out a meal.

Some personal two-in-one favourites include:

• Purple Rice – made with red cabbage in it (imagine how colourful your dinner plate will be!)

• Mediterranean Brown Rice Salad

• Marinated Vegetarian Pasta Salad!

• Garlic Butter Rice with Kale – the best way I know to convert kale haters!!

• Greek Chickpea Salad

• Lentil and Roasted Eggplant Salad

Enjoy! – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

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Crunchy crumbed chicken drumsticks

Recipe video above. Super crunchy baked drumsticks that are generously seasoned with an addictive zingy kick from black pepper and cayenne. It's not blow-your-head off but it has a very warm buzz!

Just omit the cayenne and reduce the pepper to make it kid friendly. It's so seasoned you don't need a sauce for dunking but if you want something quick but great, use my honey mustard or pink sauce – both recipes in the notes.

Course Mains

Cuisine Western

Keyword Baked Chicken Drumsticks, crunchy chicken legs recipe

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Servings 4

Calories 211cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

• 8 chicken drumsticks
• 1/2 cup flour , plain/all purpose
• 3 large eggs , beaten
• 1 cup panko breadcrumbs (Note 1)
• Canola oil spray (or other oil)

Seasoning:

• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 1 tbsp dried basil
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
• 1 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper or pure chilli powder – Note 2 (omit for kid-friendly)
• 1 1/2 tsp cooking salt
• 2 tsp black pepper (reduce to 1/2 tsp for kid-friendly)

Cups – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F (180°C fan). Place a rack on a foil lined tray. Spray rack with oil.
• Crumbing bowls – Place the flour, whisked eggs and panko in 3 separate medium bowls (bear in mind shape to fit the drumsticks!).
• Mix Seasoning in a small bowl. Put 1 tablespoon into the flour and the rest in the panko, then mix.
• Crumb – Pat drumsticks dry with paper towels. Coat in flour (shake off excess), then egg (let excess drip off). Place in panko and rotate, pressing to adhere all over, including the handle. (Note 3 for mess-free hands technique!)
• Spray – Place drumstick on the rack. Repeat with remaining chicken. Spray very generously with oil.
• Bake 25 minutes. Turn drumsticks, spray again with oil. Bake a further 20 minutes until golden brown and super crunchy!
• Serve Eat and enjoy the CRUNCH!

Notes

1. Panko breadcrumb – A Japanese breadcrumb favoured for the extra-crispy coating it gives crumbed foods. You can buy it at most big supermarkets (AUS – Coles, Woolworths, Harris) in the Asian foods section and Asian stores (cheaper!). Substitute with regular breadcrumbs.

2. Chilli powder – Not to be confused with US chili powder which is a store bought mix that’s not spicy. I’m talking about the pure chilli powder, 100% spiciness!

3. Mess-free crumbing technique: Use one hand to coat in flour and the egg, then use that same hand to place the drumstick into the panko bowl. Use your clean hand to sprinkle panko onto the drumstick, pressing to adhere. Make sure you cover the handle too so you can grasp it to rotate the drumstick and keep your hand mostly clean. Repeat – and marvel at clean(ish) hands!

4. Quick sauce options:

• Honey mustard sauce: Mix together 1/3 cup whole-egg mayonnaise, 2 tbsp dijon mustard, 2 tbsp honey, 1 – 2 tsp lemon juice (sub vinegar), salt and pepper.
• Pink sauce – 1/2 cup (100g) sour cream + 3 tbsp ketchup
• Ketchup, BBQ sauce or other store bought sauce of choice

5. Leftovers will keep for 3 days in the fridge. A quick blast in the oven will resurrect the crunchy coating to some degree.

Nutrition per drumstick, factors in residual breadcrumbs and flour.

Nutrition

Calories: 211cal | Carbohydrates: 10g | Protein: 17g | Fat: 11g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 5g | Trans Fat: 0.05g | Cholesterol: 131mg | Sodium: 583mg | Potassium: 249mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 326IU | Vitamin C: 0.03mg | Calcium: 53mg | Iron: 2mg

Life of Dozer

Dozer on move day. He was delighted to have so many new targets for treats – and he was rather successful, actually!

The post Crunchy crumbed chicken drumsticks appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

A nice change from the usual creamy versions, this chicken pasta bake is made with a tomato pasta sauce. Filled with bacon, sizzling seasoned chicken and generous on the cheese, it’s cosy and hearty and thrifty and just so, so delicious! Excellent complete meal for making ahead and freezing.

Chicken pasta bake

If you can cut a pasta bake like cake – I’m talking straight vertical walls with sharp edges – that is not a good thing. It just screams dry pasta bake!

Nope. Not in my world. Pasta bakes should be saucy and juicy, molten and oozy! Generously loaded with add-ins, if you’re going for a dinner pasta bake (as opposed to a side dish like Mac and Cheese).

This one ticks all those boxes. Proof by picture – juicy / saucy:

Tasty add-ins – sizzling seasoned chicken! Love the smell when the chicken hits the pan.

So if that sounds good to you, read on so you can see how to make your new favourite chicken pasta bake!

Ingredients in chicken pasta bake

You’ll be able to get everything from your local grocery store. Nothing pricey on the list!

Sizzling seasoned chicken

The pasta bake starts with sizzling chicken that’s been tossed in a simple, tasty seasoning. Here’s what you need:

• Chicken – I like using chicken thighs as they stay juicier in dishes like pasta bakes where they are twice cooked (ie before adding into sauce then in the oven with the pasta).

• Seasoning – Using a store bought Italian herb mix is a great shortcut here. I always like to add an extra spice, garlic in this paste, for extra flavour oomph.

Tomato pasta sauce for the pasta bake

A good tomato-based pasta bake needs a good tomato pasta sauce! No shortcuts here – I tried and just found it too bland. So here’s what we need:

• Pasta type – I like the substantialness of rigatoni, there’s something extra cosy and satisfying about it in pasta bakes. However, feel free to use other short pastas like macaroni, penne, ziti, shells etc.

• Tomato passata – for a thick, smooth sauce with better tomato flavour and red colour, use passata instead of crushed or diced tomato. It’s just pureed plain tomato! Readily available here in Australia in the pasta or canned tomato aisle and costs around the same as canned tomato. More on passata here.

• Tomato paste – for sauce thickening and extra tomato flavour.

• Garlic and onion – essential flavour base!

• Oregano – for earthy flavour.

• Chilli flakes / red pepper flakes – for a hum of warmth!

• Wine – secret ingredient! Simmered rapidly to reduce and cook out the alcohol and winey flavour, just leaving behind tasty flavour. My favourite white wine for cooking is chardonnay which adds superior flavour compared to more neutral whites like sauvignon blanc. Substitute with low sodium chicken stock/broth.

Chicken pasta bake add-ins & topping

Lots of add-in options, but here’s what I’ve gone with!

• Bacon – cooked first until crisp, chopped, and tossed through the pasta bake. Then we use the bacon fat left in the pan to cooke the chicken. Free flavour not to be wasted! Substitute with ham bits or chopped ham.

• Tomato – adds lovely juicy chunks of tomato in the pasta bake as well as filling it out and increasing the vegetable quota.

• Baby spinach – for more hidden greens as well as adding nice streaks of green into the pasta bake.

• Cheese – mozzarella for stretch and melting qualities, parmesan for flavour! (Because mozzarella actually does not have much flavour).

Feel free to substitute the tomato and baby spinach with other add-ins of choice.

How to make chicken pasta bake

There’s a time and a place for quick, low-effort one-pot pasta bakes. Then there’s all those times when you want a really good pasta bake so you’ll do it properly. Crisp the bacon, sear the chicken, simmer the sauce, then bring it all together into one big bubbling pasta bake.

Today is one of those days!

1. Crisp bacon (no oil)

1. First, cook the bacon in a non-stick pan until golden and crisp. You won’t need any oil to do this as the fat in the bacon will melt and release fat into the pan. So it cooks in its own fat!

2. Drain on paper towels, leaving the fat in the pan (we will use this to cook the chicken). The bacon will go crispy when it cools, then chop into pieces.

2. Making the pasta bake

1. Toss the chicken in the Italian herbs, garlic powder, salt and pepper.

2. Sear – Using a very big pan or a large pot (because we’re mixing the sauce with pasta in this pan), sear the chicken until light golden in the reserved bacon fat.

   Don’t worry whether it’s cooked through inside, it will finish cooking in the sauce and oven. Remove chicken with a slotted spoon and set aside in a bowl, leaving the tasty chicken/bacon fat in the pan (you see all this flavour building going on, right??!)

3. Sauté the onion and garlic with the chilli flakes and dried oregano – good trick for bringing out extra flavour from dried herbs! Then add the wine and simmer rapidly to mostly reduce – this cooks out the alcohol and removes the winey flavour, just leaving behind tasty flavour which adds a little something-something into the sauce.

4. Sauce – Next, cook off the tomato paste. Similar to toasting the herbs, this improves the flavour of tomato paste, taking off the sour edge, intensifying the tomato flavour and sweetening it. Good Cheffy tip!

   Then we add all the liquids – the tomato passata, water (use it to rinse out the bottle) – salt and pepper for seasoning.

5. Simmer – Then stir in the chicken – don’t forget to add all the juices pooled in the bowl! Simmer for 5 minutes to bring the flavours together – this is when the magic happens so don’t skip or shortcut this step. I tried – to speed things up – but the sauce just lacked flavour.

6. Add-ins – Add the baby spinach, tomato, cooked pasta and bacon in that order, so the heavier add-ins weigh down the considerable volume of baby spinach.

   Oh! If you remember, you can hold back a bit of bacon for sprinkling on at the end. But to be honest, I usually forget.

7. Mix well – Give it all a good stir to mix it all together. You DID use a big pan, right?? 🙂 If you didn’t, this is the part where you’ll start crying or cursing – been there, done that!

8. Baking pan – Transfer to a 23 x 33cm / 9 x 13″ pan and level the surface.

9. Cheese it! Top with mozzarella then parmesan cheese. Doing it in this order gives the surface a lovely golden crust thanks to the parmesan, but it’s not the end of the world if you do it the other way.

10. Bake for just 25 minutes until the cheese is melted with some lovely golden spots. Rest for 5 minutes, just to let it settle so the sauce clings to the pasta a bit better. Then serve!

Complete meal – veg, starch, protein!

It is not often I get to tell you that a pasta dish is a complete meal, so let me enjoy the moment. This one’s got it all! Starch, protein and plenty of vegetables – the tomato passata (yes it’s a vegetable!), chunks of fresh tomato and a good amount of baby spinach too.

Which means – unlike most of my creamy pasta bakes – no need to make a salad for the side to round out the meal. Always a bonus when it comes to choosing what to make for dinner tonight, right?? – Nagi x

PS Having just made that statement, I just realised the photo above has a side salad in it. 😂 It’s the rocket salad (arugula) with balsamic dressing minus the parmesan shavings (because I figured there was enough cheese in the pasta bake!). It was already made for another recipe I was shooting so I just grabbed it as a background prop for the photo!

PPS Despite saying this is a complete meal, a side of garlic bread would certainly take dinner to another level!

Watch how to make it

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Chicken pasta bake

Recipe video above. Everything a chicken pasta bake should be – big, juicy, bubbly, cosy, with loads of extra tasty sauce, sizzling seasoned chicken, bacon and plenty of cheese. Nice change from the usual creamy pasta bakes!

This is a complete meal with starch, protein and veg so you won't need a side salad for this. Love the juicy chunks of tomato!

Course Main

Cuisine Italian-esque, Western

Keyword Chicken Pasta Bake, pasta bake, tomato sauce for pasta bake

Prep Time 15 minutes

Cook Time 45 minutes

Servings 6 – 6 people

Calories 567cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

Seasoned Chicken

• 500g / 1 lb chicken thighs , cut into small bite size pieces (Note 1)
• 1/2 tsp cooking/kosher salt
• 1/4 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp Italian herb mix , any store bought type

Pasta bake

• 300g/10oz rigatoni (or penne, elbow macaroni, shells or similar)
• 2 tsp salt , for cooking pasta
• 5 slices streaky bacon
• 1/2 onion , finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves , minced
• 1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 tsp chilli flakes / red pepper flakes
• 1/2 cup chardonnay or other dry white wine (Note 2)
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 700g / 24oz tomato passata (Note 3)
• 1/2 cup water
• 1 tsp cooking/kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• 3 tomatoes , cut into 8 wedges then halved
• 2 big handfuls baby spinach (or bite size kale)
• 2 cups mozzarella, shredded
• 1/2 cup (tightly packed) parmesan, finely shredded

Cups – Metric

Instructions

• Preheat oven to 180°C/350°F (160°C fan).
• Cook pasta per packet directions, using boiling water seasoned with the 2 teaspoons of salt. Drain, rinse briefly under tap water, then set aside to cool while making the sauce.
• Season chicken – Toss together Seasoned Chicken ingredients in a bowl.
• Crisp bacon – Put bacon in an unheated very large non-stick pan (Note 2). Turn stove on medium high. The fat will melt so the bacon cooks in its own fat. Cook until light golden, remove onto paper towels, leaving fat in the pan. Once cool, cut into 1cm / 1/3" pieces.
• Sizzle chicken – Top up bacon fat with olive oil if you don’t have at least 1 tbsp. Increase heat to high. Cook chicken for 3 minutes until light golden on the outside but still raw inside. Remove into a bowl with a slotted spoon.
• Sauce – In the same pan, cook garlic and onion for 1 minute, then add chilli flakes and oregano. Cook for 2 minutes until onion is translucent. Add wine and rapidly simmer for 1 to 2 minutes until mostly evaporated. Add tomato paste and cook for 1 minute to concentrate and improve flavour. Add passata, then use the water to rinse out the bottle. Add salt, pepper, chicken (including all juices on the plate). Mix, then simmer for 5 minutes on medium.
• Toss – Add baby spinach, tomato, pasta and bacon. Toss well.
• Assemble – Transfer to 23 x 33cm/9 x 13" pan. Top with mozzarella then parmesan. Bake 25 minutes until melted with some golden spots.
• Serve – Stand for 5 minutes then serve!

Notes

1. Chicken thighs hold up best in pasta bakes as they stay juicy through the double/triple cook. However, breast will also work though I’d cut it a little larger so it stays juicier.

2. Wine is a secret ingredient for tastier sauces – no winey flavour remaining, I promise! I like using chardonnay as it adds more flavour than neutral whites like sauvignon blanc. Sub low-sodium chicken stock/broth

3. Tomato passata – Pureed, strained pure tomatoes, sometimes labelled “tomato puree” in the US (here’s a photo of Mutti tomato passata sold at Walmart). It’s readily available in Australian supermarkets nowadays, alongside pasta sauces. Passata is excellent for making thick, smooth sauces. More on tomato passata here.

4. Leftovers will keep for 3 days in the fridge or freezer for 3 months.

Make-ahead – Best way is to cool down the sauce and pasta before combining. Assemble pasta bake – including topping with cheese – wrap tightly in cling wrap then fridge 3 days or freezer 3 months (thaw completely). Bake covered for 20 minutes then uncovered 20 minutes.

Nutrition per serving, assuming 6 servings. It’s a pretty hearty pasta bake thanks to all the add-ins so it should be enough for 6 standard servings.

Nutrition

Calories: 567cal | Carbohydrates: 23g | Protein: 38g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 14g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 13g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 141mg | Sodium: 1845mg | Potassium: 996mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 2291IU | Vitamin C: 24mg | Calcium: 457mg | Iron: 4mg

Life of Dozer

Sunset walk. Such a beautiful part of Sydney! (It’s Bayview dog park in Sydney’s northern beaches).

The post Chicken pasta bake appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.

I really did mean to post a classic pot roast chicken. But this Thai red curry version is SO MUCH MORE EXCITING!! To-die-for red curry sauce with outrageously juicy chicken, you’ll have this in the oven in 10 minutes. Effortless recipes with incredible results, this is my kind of food!

Thai red curry pot roast chicken

Consider this to be the roast chicken version of Lamb Shanks Massaman Curry, and beloved fan-favourite where you just put everything in a pan, pop it in the oven, then out comes fall-apart bronzed lamb shanks smothered in a rich massaman curry sauce.

Admittedly, this roast chicken red curry version does call for one extra step – sautéing the curry paste with aromatics (garlic, ginger, lemongrass) – before adding everything else and transferring it into the oven. Well worth a whole 2 minutes of effort for the extra depth of flavour you get in the Thai red curry sauce. And LOOK at the sauce!!

Speaking of sauce – did I mention we’re using store bought instead of homemade red curry paste today? For ease. Which brings me to an important topic:

My favourite red curry paste – Maesri

The best and cheapest. Full stop, end of story!

There is just no other than compares in mainstream grocery stores and Asian stores here in Australia. For authentic flavour – fresh, real, and not too sweet (why-oh-why are all the “western” red curry pastes so darn sweet??!!). Given the tick of approval by Thai nationals and it happens to be the cheapest curry paste clocking in at $2.10 a can.

While I highly recommend Maesri, this recipe does work with other red curry paste brands too. But the sauce will only be as good as the curry paste you use!

Where to find Maesri red curry paste

• Asian grocery stores (it’s very common here in Australia)

• Australia – Woolworths, Harris Farms, Amazon, asianpantry.com.au

• Other countries – Amazon US, Amazon UK, Amazon CA (strangely pricey in Canada??)

Ingredients in Thai red curry pot roast chicken

Here’s what you need to make today’s recipe.

The red curry sauce

• Red curry paste – As per section above, Maesri is my preferred! Cheapest and most authentic flavour.

• Lemongrass, garlic and ginger – Adding these gives the store bought curry paste a flavour boost that makes it virtually like homemade red curry paste. It really makes a different!

  Lemongrass – Substitute with 1 tablespoon of lemongrass paste. But one day, I hope you can make this with fresh lemongrass because it really is better!

• Coconut cream – Not all coconut cream is created equal! Good ones are 100% coconut and have better flavour. Economical ones use water + thickener.

  Coconut milk will also work but coconut flavour is not as intense (the sauce gets a ton of juices from chicken which dilutes the coconut flavour which is why coconut cream works better than milk).

• Kaffir lime leaves – For authentic Thai curry flavour! Fairly accessible these days at large grocery stores and Asian stores. They freeze 100% perfectly which is handy.

  Use leftover kaffire lime leaves in Thai red curry, Tom Yum soup, Thai meatballs, beef rendang, Malaysian chicken satay curry, green curry, golden turmeric baked fish and everybody’s favourite Asian coconut rice!

• Fish sauce – This is used as the salt in red curry. More flavour than plain salt!

• Sugar – For the right touch of sweetness you find in red curry sauce.

• Red chilli – For optional garnish.

Vegetables and herbs

• Potatoes – Small, skin on whole potatoes are best as the skin holds them together while they cook up beautifully creamy inside. If using cut pieces, add them partway through cooking else they will disintegrate.

• Green beans – Just to add some vegetables into the sauce, plus a sprinkle of green. Feel free to add other vegetables!

• Thai Basil has a slight aniseed flavour. Italian basil can be used in a pinch! Really adds a special touch to the finished dish so try not to skip it. But if this is the only thing you’re missing, still worth making!

• Coriander/cilantro (optional) – This is mainly for garnish, though if you don’t have Thai Basil this makes a good alternative as a fresh herb addition to the dish.

Whole chicken

Oh yes, and you will need a whole chicken. Let’s not make today’s recipe like that time I forgot to include pork in a roast pork recipe!! 😂

I use a 1.8kg/3.6lb chicken. It’s fine to use one a little larger or smaller as the pot-roasting method of cooking we’re using today is very forgiving. It will keep chicken juicy even if you take it over (small chickens) and cooks evenly and fast so larger chickens will cook through.

How to make Thai red curry pot roast chicken

This all gets made in one pot, and you’ll have it in the oven in 10 minutes!

1. Cook off curry paste – Sauté the curry paste with lemongrass, ginger and garlic for a couple of minutes. The curry paste will dry out and caramelise which intensifies and improves the flavour. An essential step when using any store bought curry paste!

2. Sauce – Add the chicken stock then reduce it by half to concentrate the flavour. Add the remaining sauce ingredients – coconut cream, fish sauce, sugar, kaffir lime leaves – and stir to combine.

3. Put the chicken into the sauce and spoon sauce over. Then place the potatoes around it.

4. Bake covered for 40 minutes.

5. Brown the chicken – After 40 minutes, remove the lid and bake for a further 30 minutes, basting every 10 minutes. Oh, and push the beans into the sauce for the last 10 minutes! Any earlier and they’ll overcook far too much.

   Just use a spoon to baste the chicken (which simple means spooning the sauce over) though if you have a turkey baster, it will make your life even easier.

6. Final baste – Give the chicken a final baste then transfer it to a plate to rest for 10 minutes before cutting it into pieces.

7. Thai Basil leaves – Stir the basil leaves into the sauce just before plating up, so as to retain the freshness of the flavour.

8. To serve – Place the chicken pieces on a platter then pour over the sauce, potatoes and beans. Garnish with extra chilli and fresh coriander if desired, then take it to the table!

I know I’ve been going on and on about the sauce – and it really is worthy of the talk, I promise – but I shouldn’t undersell how juicy the chicken is, thanks to the pot roasting method of cooking! So much more forgiving than traditional roast chicken – which we all love, but does require more accuracy to ensure you don’t end up with a dry breast.

Ah, also, the potatoes!! Using whole small baby potatoes means we can cook them until they are really soft and creamy inside without disintegrating. If you only have large potatoes, cut them into 1.5cm / 0.6″ chunks and add them about halfway through the cook time, otherwise they will over-cook and turn into mush.

Serve over jasmine rice, to soak up all that beautiful curry sauce, and a perky side salad for something fresh. Pictured above is my Asian side salad but if I had a choice, I probably would’ve opted for smashed cucumbers or my favourite Chang’s Crispy Noodle Cabbage Salad.

I really hope you try this recipe one of these days! Something a little different but very straight forward to make that’s forgiving, with knock-your-socks-off results. It’s Amazing – with a capital A. Everybody knows when I use capitals, I really mean it! 😂 – Nagi x

Watch how to make it

Print

Thai red curry pot roast chicken

Recipe video above. Such a spectacular way to cook a whole chicken! Cooked in a Thai red curry sauce with potatoes and beans, the pot-roasting method keeps the chicken ultra juicy. Plus, we can get away with store bought curry paste here because the chicken juices add a stack of money-can't-buy flavour into the sauce.

Easy enough for midweek, definitely impressive enough for company!

Course Mains

Cuisine Thai-ish

Keyword One Pot Dinner, pot roasted chicken, Red curry, Thai chicken

Prep Time 10 minutes

Cook Time 1 hour 15 minutes

De-chilling and resting 1 hour 10 minutes

Total Time 2 hours 35 minutes

Servings 5 – 6 people

Calories 766cal

Author Nagi

Ingredients

• 1.8 kg/ 3.6 lb whole chicken
• 1 tsp cooking/kosher salt
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 115g/ 4 oz (1/2 cup) Thai red curry paste (Maesri recommended, Note 1)
• 2 large garlic cloves , finely grated (Note 2)
• 2 tsp fresh ginger , finely grated (Note 2)
• 2 tsp fresh lemongrass , finely grated, white / pale green part only (Note 2)
• 1 cup chicken stock/broth , low sodium
• 400 ml/ 14 oz coconut cream (Note 3)
• 6 kaffir lime leaves , crushed in hand (Note 4)
• 1 tbsp white sugar
• 2 tsp fish sauce
• 600g/ 1.2lb small potatoes (12 or so), skin on (Note 5)
• 120g/ 4oz green beans , trimmed and cut in half
• 15 Thai basil leaves , or more! (sub ordinary Italian basil, Note 6)

Serving + optional garnishes:

• Jasmine rice
• Red chilli , finely sliced
• Coriander / cilantro leaves

Instructions

• De-chill & salt chicken – Take the chicken out of the fridge 1 hour prior. Pat dry then sprinkle with the salt.
• Preheat oven to 200°C/400°F (180°C fan).
• Sauté curry paste – Use a large, oven-proof pot with a lid. Heat oil on medium high heat. Cook curry paste, garlic, ginger and lemongrass for 2 minutes. This step substantially improves the flavour of store bought curry paste.
• Sauce – Add chicken stock, stir, then simmer rapidly for 3 minutes to reduce by half. Stir in coconut cream, hand-crushed kaffir lime leaves, sugar and fish sauce.
• Place chicken into the sauce. Spoon over sauce. Surround with potatoes.
• Bake 1 hour – Place the lid on and bake for 40 minutes. Remove lid spoon sauce over chicken (ie. baste). Turn the oven up to 220°C/425°F (200°C fan). Bake uncovered for 10 minutes, baste, bake another 10 minutes.
• Beans, then bake 10 minutes – Push beans into the sauce (wherever they fit!). Baste again then bake for a final 10 minutes (no lid).
• Rest 10 minutes – Remove chicken onto a plate (Note 7). Rest 10 minutes. Put lid on pot to keep sauce warm.
• Serving – Carve chicken, place on platter. Stir basil leaves into sauce. Pour/spoon sauce, potatoes and beans over chicken. Garnish with chilli and coriander, if desired. Serve with jasmine rice!

Notes

1. Curry paste – My position on the best Thai red curry is fairly well documented on this website! Maesri is the best – there is just no question. Find it at Woolies, Harris Farms, Asian stores and online. (Overseas Amazon – US, Canada, UK).

2. Grating – Use a microplane or similar to grate it finely so it mixes in really well with the curry paste. It spruces up store bought paste to make it taste like homemade.

Lemongrass – 1 tbsp lemongrass paste can be used.

3. Coconut cream – Not all coconut cream is created equal! Good ones are 100% coconut and have better flavour. Economical ones use water + thickener. Coconut milk will also work but coconut flavour is not as intense (the sauce gets a ton of juices from chicken which dilutes the coconut flavour which is why coconut cream works better than milk).

4. Kaffir lime leaves – fairly accessible these days at large grocery stores and Asian stores. They freeze 100% perfectly. Use leftover kaffire lime leaves in Thai red curry, Tom Yum soup, Thai meatballs, beef rendang, Malaysian chicken satay curry, green curry, golden turmeric baked fish and everybody’s favourite Asian coconut rice!

5. Potatoes – Small, skin on whole potatoes are best as the skin holds them together while they cook up beautifully creamy inside. If using cut pieces, add them partway through cooking else they will disintegrate.

6. Thai Basil has a slight aniseed flavour. Italian basil can be used in a pinch! Really adds a special touch to the finished dish so try not to skip it. But if this is the only thing you’re missing, still worth making!

7. Removing chicken – I stick tongs inside cavity + spatula to support underneath, so as not to ruin skin

Nutrition

Calories: 766cal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 65g | Saturated Fat: 34g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 9g | Monounsaturated Fat: 18g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 130mg | Sodium: 794mg | Potassium: 696mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 4085IU | Vitamin C: 10mg | Calcium: 74mg | Iron: 4mg

Life of Dozer

Typical.

The post Thai red curry pot roast chicken appeared first on RecipeTin Eats.